David Balinga

Why I audited Flourish through a neuro-inclusive lens.

Flourish is a mental wellbeing app. But decoration was drowning function, creating cognitive strain for users who need simplicity most.

I audited 14 screens and found 6 critical issues:

20+ emotion labels → Reduced to 6-8...

Breeze wants to help me build habits. But the home screen gave me decision paralysis.

Before:

→ 3 tasks at once, brain tries to read all simultaneously

→ "Add Task" top right, too far when overwhelmed

→ "3 tasks left", guilt, not motivation

→ "Self-discovery quest" on home, why?

...

Depop's checkout is leaking money.

You see "€15" first. Feels good. Then you scroll. Shipping: €2.99. Then the real total: €17.99.

That's not a breakdown, it's a slow surprise. And for anyone with decision fatigue or math anxiety, it's enough to close the app.

Fix: Lead with the...

Health tracking apps serve vulnerable users.

The last thing they need is an interface that adds to their burden.

I audited Bearable as a neurodivergent user:

❌ Too many options fighting for attention

❌ '4/8' progress feels like guilt

❌ Data buried below the fold

My redesign:

✅ One...